Sidebottom for Onions seems strange

Graeme Onions hasn't bowled that well on this tour as his average of 45 demonsrates, but it was still a massive surprise that Ryan Sidebottom was preferred for the vital 4th Test in South Africa.

At the start of the series I would have played 6 batsmen rather than 7, leaving Bell out, and played Sidebottom and Onions, but that time has passed and Ian Bell has had a good series. Onions hasn't blown the South Africans away but it must have been a very marginal 50/50 call between Sidebottom and Onions. So for me, team unity and consistency of selection should have won the day, just as it does with batsmen.

That still applies even if Sidebottom takes loads....England certainly need him to!!